Vengeance Is Mine: A Short Story

The Burned One

Ugh homework, why? I need to finish this soon before my show comes on at 6:30. Laying on my stomach on my bed, I had my math papers stacked and was working on a pure torturous chapter.

I could feel a breeze that wasn't there a moment ago. My stack of papers were blown off my bed and into the trash. Smiling I spoke to myself, "Hmm the trash really can take itself out." I rolled over and looked for my textbook, it wasn't there anymore. I started sweating heavily onto my bed, and wiggled myself out of my black biker's jacket.

Then I heard a sound and smelled smoke... and blood? I sat up and saw my little trashcan was in flames, all my papers inside and my book, and blood was dripping from the top. I screamed and threw my blanket on top, that only resulted in the rise of the flames and a larger puddle on my carpet.

"Mom! Mom! Help!" I frantically grabbed for my water bottle and felt it nowhere. Shit. "Fire!"

Her footsteps shook the house as she ran, bout time. When she looked at the trashcan and the floor, her face turned white and she froze. She remembered what the house seller had warned, "He's back."

-------------------------------------------------

"Are you sure you saw blood, son, there are no stains anywhere, no evidence? Not a damn thing." The police arrived at 6:30 just an hour after we put out the fire.

"Yes, I am a hundred percent certain there was blood, even my mother saw it, please officer" I pleaded with a shaking voice.

"That's right I did see it, it was all over the can and carpet and everything." My mother's face turned dark as she continued to speak, "The man who sold us the house warned us about this, he said the foundation was built on the remains of a house burned down almost a hundred years ago. Burned by a mob after the family that lived there."

The officer shrugged at my mother's affirmation, "Uhm ok then, well, there is simply no sign of it. I'm sorry we can't investigate something that just doesn't have a lead." His face showed that he was sorry, or he pitied us thinking we had gone insane.

"Sergeant, I found something." He held up a paper, a drawing, no damage or burn marks, "It was right in the middle of the can."

The drawing was so vividly detailed it could have been mistaken as a photo. Under the face of a blank staring man, with burn scars all over his face, were the words The Burned One Is coming! Me and mom must have gotten goosebumps at the same time because the Sergeant's face appeared confused.

At the door, it was darker than it should have been almost pitch black and too early in the night. I checked my watch 10:50, but how?

The two officers offered us several cards to seek help from known counselors, saying it was what we really needed, along with rest.

"You really don't believe us?!" My mother asked one last time. "Maybe you should look behind you!" She pointed a shaking finger at their car.

It was on fire with flames higher than my cousin. Then suddenly the gas reacted and it exploded. After the smoke cleared a dark figure leaned against a tree looking at the destroyed police car, then turned his glare at us. My mother and I saw it, the light danced on his face and revealed his scars. He was the man from the drawing.

"Hey you, get the fuck over here! Did you do this? Come here!" The sergeant yelled as he started stomping down the steps. The man straightened and pulled something small from his pocket, he tinkered with it and threw it right into our yard, just in front of the car.

"Wait stop! Don't walk anymore!" I waved my arms and shrieked. The gas can was inside the house under a broken window, a trail lead to where the man threw a lighter.

"What?!" The officer yelled at me and started to turn, as his eyes met mine I suddenly saw something in them, his head jerked back and he howled in pain.

His body was soon covered in flames and he crawled toward us, but he didn't get far before he was consumed in a huge fire racing toward us.

"Nooo!" The officer beside us clawed at his gun, and when he pulled it out of its holster took a shaky aim at the murderer. He shot three times, each the man dodged with an astounding speed.

The creepy dark figure turned and walked behind the tree, then disappeared. The sergeant's partner shouted into his shoulder radio, but soon had to run into the house like we did.

"Ah!" We all screamed at once when the windows exploded and flames reached through seeking our souls. There was no way out we were backed into a corner, all the exits to escape the living room were barricaded. The officer caught the flame first then grabbed on to us begging for mercy.

"Let go of me!" I instinctively kicked his face away instead of help, but it was too late, his hands moved the flames onto us. Soon we would all be rolling on the floor writhing in pain, until the house would collapse on us, and leave behind a message of his return and blood.